tcp_wrappers/safe_finger.8

   1 .TH SAFE_FINGER 8 "21th June 1997" Linux "Linux Programmer's Manual"
   2 .SH NAME
   3 safe_finger \- finger client wrapper that protects against nasty stuff
   4 from finger servers
   5 .SH SYNOPSIS
   6 .B safe_finger [finger_options]
   7 .SH DESCRIPTION
   8 The
   9 .B safe_finger
  10 command protects against nasty stuff from finger servers. Use this
  11 program for automatic reverse finger probes from the
  12 .B tcp_wrapper
  13 .B (tcpd)
  14 , not the raw finger command. The
  15 .B safe_finger
  16 command makes sure that the finger client is not run with root
  17 privileges. It also runs the finger client with a defined PATH
  18 environment.
  19 .B safe_finger
  20 will also protect you from problems caused by the output of some
  21 finger servers. The problem: some programs may react to stuff in
  22 the first column. Other programs may get upset by thrash anywhere
  23 on a line. File systems may fill up as the finger server keeps
  24 sending data. Text editors may bomb out on extremely long lines.
  25 The finger server may take forever because it is somehow wedged.
  26 .B safe_finger
  27 takes care of all this badness.
  28 .SH SEE ALSO
  29 .BR hosts_access (5),
  30 .BR hosts_options (5),
  31 .BR tcpd (8)
  32 .SH AUTHOR
  33 Wietse Venema, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands.
  34